New Faces: Jerel Worthy

The massive defensive end won't argue against what others have said about his play in the past; but Worthy insists no one will be saying those things about him in the future.

Taken in the second round of the NFL draft, Worthy uses his weaknesses as motivation. "All I can say is I'm going to come in and try to continue to work to be a lot more consistent, and I'm going to be a lot more consistent.” Worthy said. “ That's going to be my goal. The plays that showed up in the highlight tape, that's the same plays that I'm going to transfer up to the NFL and do it on a consistent basis."

Wayne High School in Huber Heights, Ohio was where Jerel first showcased his talent. He willed his alma mater to many victories with 50 tackles, 10.5 sacks and 12 hurries his senior year alone. Worthy’s performance earned him a spot on the Superprep and Prepstars Midwest Teams.

Jerel was offered scholarships to six colleges coming out of high school, eventually settling on Michigan State. As a junior in 2011, he became the first Michigan State defensive lineman to earn All-America honors in 30 years. Despite standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and carrying 308 pounds, Worthy is fast. His quick feet and power make him unblockable…at times. In January 2012, Jerel announced he would forgo his senior year and enter the draft. He said his decision to enter the draft as an underclassman was partly because his father suffered a stroke in 2010 and the NFL would provide financial support for his family.

Although Jerel was disappointed not being picked in the first round, the doubters only fuel his desire for improvement. Yes, consistency is a negative, but the list of positives is much longer. He's extremely quick, forceful, intuitive and disruptive. Jerel wants to show his new team he was worth the pick. "I want to come in and have an impact right away. I just want to leave my mark and let these guys know that they (should) have no regrets about picking me."